The Inbetween
by Saphura
Summary: The Stranger spent three weeks on Myst before Linking to Riven. Here's what they got up to.
1. Days 1-3

The Inbetween

So, I've rediscovered _Myst_. My dad had the first two games, and we would play for hours when I was a kid but I don't think either of us ever finished them. Lately, I've been watching let's plays of the games and learning more of the mythos of the series.

Thus this piece. The Stranger spent just over three weeks on Myst before being sent to Riven. I wondered what happened in those three weeks, so I wrote this! There are 23 entries, but I'll pair them together since some are fairly short. The dates are based on a timeline I found on a Myst wiki, if you were wondering.

Please remember to review!

* * *

Day 1 (Dec. 11, 1806)

There are enough blank books lying around, I figured I'd start one of my own journals so if I ever leave this place I'll know it was real. That fellow Arthur Atlas Atrus is no help. After I got him that white page and freed him, all he said was thanks, you can have free access to my library, and I might need you in the future.

Not the answer I was expecting.

Finally he asked what it was I wanted because he was very busy, and I told him to send me home.

"I don't want your ruddy library! I want to go _home_!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," he said.

Not that simple? You can write these Links to other worlds, other Ages! Write me one to Earth!"

And he laughed. _He laughed_. "We are on Earth. I call it D'ni, but D'ni is far below the surface of your Age."

"You lie."

"I have no reason to lie to you. We are on Earth, but trapped in this room. Yes, the door out lies under that fallen pillar over there, but it is too heavy for even the both of us to move. The rest of D'ni, the rest of Earth, is blocked to us."

He must have seen me looking at the fallen pillar. I didn't need to try and move it to know it was too massive to move. No doubt Arthur Atrus tried at one point out of desperation. I asked him, "What do you propose then?"

Right now, I have no way to send you back to the surface, but if you give me time I might have a solution. I give you my word I will find a way to send you back to the surface, back to your own kind, but you must be patient."

I agreed. What else could I do? The man is my only way home! So I left him to his writing while I explored Myst a bit more. For now, I've set up camp in the Library using some bedding I took from Sirrus' room on Stoneship. I'll find somewhere more permanent tomorrow, the memory of what occurred in this place give me the creeps.

This evening I reread all of Atrus' journals. It feels strange reading another man's journals, but I have to make sure I fully understand each Age. I'm going to try and set up some traps in them tomorrow. Channelwood and Stoneship seem the most promising.

* * *

Day 2 (Dec. 12, 1806)

Spent the day exploring the island. I found a house of sorts on the East (?) side. I had wondered where Atrus and his family had lived, and quite by accident I found a series of caves in the mountain which were clearly a house. A house under the mountain. The place is a mess; someone was searching it at one point, probably Sirrus and Achenar. I haven't asked Atrus about the burn marks, about what he did. Lord it must have been painful for him to do it, they were his sons after all. Though from what I've seen, they deserved it. The worlds Ages I've visited, the things I've seen, they were monsters.

No wonder Atrus is consumed by writing in that book of his. His sons were monsters and he had to slay them. Could I do the same if I had sons? Would my father, in Atrus' place, do that to me and my brother?

I wonder if anyone has realized I have gone missing. Probably not, it's only been a few days, but maybe… no, don't think about it. It's too painful. I need to understand that I may never get home again.

I set up some traps in the various ages, and found some tubers in Channelwood. Cooked them using the rosemary in the overgrown garden by the house. There are beans and peas there too! I need meat, hopefully my traps will have caught something in the morning. I couldn't sleep in the house, it didn't feel right, but luckily the nights here are pleasant enough to sleep outside and there are no biting insects here. I've made myself a hammock in the trees. The stars are nothing like back home, and I have made a few of my own constellations.

* * *

Day 3 (Dec. 13, 1806)

Success with traps in Channelwood and Stoneship, despite something eating most of the bait from the Channelwood traps. Reset them.

I've been here three days now, and it all seems so… normal. Linking between Ages, Atrus, I've adjusted to all of this so quickly? How? It's madness! And the machines here… Mechanical is as if an engineer went mad! The village in Channelwood, it was not built by human hands, and the moving image machines! I asked Atrus about the finned tube on the northwest side, and about the wires and the machines underground and the flameless lights.

"In most places, it's called a rocket ship, or space ship. They usually take you to the stars, using rockets, but that one is a fake so it doesn't work. The machines are generators, which produce electricity which then powers the rocket ship and the rest of the island. Some of the lights have fire marbles in them. Are humans really so primitive?"

What in the name of God is a _rocket_? Or fire marbles? And why would anyone try to enter the heavens? I've heard of electricity, it's some newfangled power source, but somehow Atrus has harnessed it while scientists back home have barely begun to understand it! I didn't even bother asking him about the cauldron with the changing surface and his message to Catherine, or how the star viewer worked.

Then again, the man creates worlds Ages in books which allow you to physically travel to them. Such things shouldn't surprise me when it comes to Atrus. I must admit, I am frightened by what Atrus and his kind are capable of. His ability to Write Books, the fantastic machines, the ability to harness the power of the gods... Anyone lesser would think Atrus to be a god himself, but I know he's not. He's a prisoner. His knowledge and gifts imprisoned him and destroyed his family. Atrus is no god, he is a man with a great power and burden.

I do not envy him.

Played the piano this evening. Those lessons mother insisted I take have fallen deep in my memory, but I managed a few tunes. I wonder if Atrus can play? That musical key which unlocked Selenitic was hardly in tune. I'll ask him about the piano tomorrow after I check my traps, and check Rime one more time as he requested. Atrus has me checking the crystal viewer every day. The trips are brief and never pleasant, the cold takes forever to leave me.


	2. Days 4-6

Hi my few readers of this fic! This one is probably the shortest of the lot. Please remember to review, I like hearing from people :)

* * *

Day 4 (Dec. 14, 1806)

Atrus has fallen ill.

* * *

Day 5 (Dec. 15, 1806)

I've been in D'ni with Atrus for a day now. Yesterday morning I had visited Rime again. I had managed to open the crystal viewer there, and found the image hadn't changed since the other day, as expected, so I Linked back to D'ni to tell Atrus. I found him unconscious on the floor with a burning fever. I didn't dare try and Link him to Myst, so I've had to Link back and forth with supplies. I managed to find another book, this one with medicinal plants, most of which were grown in a side garden on Myst. He's still running a fever, but it's lower now. I've been slowly feeding him and getting his strength back up and fever down. He's weak from exhaustion.

Why did he push himself this far? For me? No, it has to do with that Book. I looked at it, it's a Linking Book, but it's different. Some of the passages are in a different hand, and seem to be decaying, fading away but not because of age. The moving picture was blurry, I couldn't make out anything so I didn't touch it. According to the cover, the Age is called Riven. It is the Age I have been looking at in the crystal viewer on Rime.

He keeps on calling out for Catherine. Catherine… his wife. Where is she? Sometimes he calls for Anna, though I don't know who she is, maybe a sister? When nightmares consume him, his speech becomes incomprehensible, another language unlike any I've ever heard. It must be the language of the D'ni, the language he writes his books in. It's a beautiful script to be sure, and my unsteady hand has desecrated it by trying to copy some of the words down in this journal. Here they look like squiggles, but in the Riven book, you can make out each individual letter, each pen stroke.

And before I forget, there is a HUGE sea creature which stalks the waters surrounding Rime. Must mention this to Atrus when he recovers.

* * *

Day 6 (Dec. 16, 1806)

Spent the night in D'ni again. Atrus tried getting out of bed to continue working on his book, so I tied him down and brought him his book and inks in bed. He's still running a fever, though it is lower than yesterday.

"I'm so close!" he said. "But it's so hard, I can barely keep up with what is happening."

"What is happening?" I asked.

"I am trying to save this Age," he whispered. "I am trying to save her…"

He wouldn't say much else. I suppose by "her" he means Catherine. I'm spending the night here in D'ni to keep an eye on him. I can hardly believe he has lived in this space for several months. There is a crack in the wall where water comes out, and some supplies. He's been rationing them, nearly starving himself in the process. At this point, he would have lasted maybe another few weeks if I hadn't found the Myst Book and came along and freed him. Between the long hours writing and meager food, it's no wonder Atrus collapsed. I'm surprised he didn't do it sooner. He probably has, but worked through it. I think he's alive simply because of willpower.

He's lost his sons, and now he might lose his wife. I would go through the same great lengths if there was the possibility I would lose the last one close to me.

* * *

Never understood how Atrus survived in K'veer for several months. He must have had access to food and water, but it's never mentioned. This is just the first time I take some artistic licence. Did I mention I don't own this stuff? I don't own Myst of anything related to it. I just got frustrated by the puzzles.


	3. Days 7-9

Day 7 (Dec. 17, 1806)

Atrus is back on his feet. I couldn't get him to stay in bed if I tried, the man is so stubborn! He won't tell me anything about the Riven Book. He says it isn't time, or that there isn't time. I can't tell, he mumbled it when I asked. He freed himself sometime during the night, and practically threw the Myst Linking Book at me this morning to make me leave and go check the viewer on Rime once he realized I was awake. He nearly had a heart attack when I told him the bridge in the image had fallen down. He then kicked me out of D'ni again without so much as a thank you for taking care of his sorry behind.

I checked my Channelwood traps. All of them were empty, but something had eaten the bait. I reset them in new locations.

Found a fishing spot on Stoneship. The fish there are interesting. One of the two I caught looks like a normal fish, but the other was most unusual. It had four tail fins set at angles, so the fish could propel itself forward by moving its tail up and down as well as side to side. The second fish had the superior taste as well. I noticed faint lights far off near the horizon while fishing. Atrus' journal said people once lived here, so the lights must be from them. But no one has come to investigate the light coming from the lighthouse here. After what Sirrus and Achenar must have done to those people, they probably never will come. This place must be cursed for them. Sad, I could use the company.

* * *

Day 8 (Dec. 18, 1806)

The little bastard!

I went back to my traps today and found this little creature hanging upside down just to reach the bait! I have never seen anything like it before, but it dove into the water before I could get a good look. I reset the traps. I'll see if I can put together a slingshot or something so I can get this thing when I go back. It cost me lunch!

Atrus is in a better mood today. Any damage that might have occurred while he was ill wasn't that bad. At least, that's what he told me when I asked him about it. I'm not sure what he means by damage. Does he mean the Age in the Book? When I tried to ask him about Catherine and Anna, he almost threw Myst at me again. He's under a lot of stress, I'm worried his illness will come back if he keeps this up. I'm also worried he might take my head off if I spend the night in D'ni again, so I'm back in my hammock among the trees of Myst. To think it is the middle of winter back home, and here I am sleeping under the stars. Well, under a tarpaulin which I rigged up to protect me should it rain, but still. It's the most comfortable hammock I've ever been in thanks to Sirrus' luxurious taste in blankets.

* * *

Day 9 (Dec. 19, 1806)

Christmas is in a few days, I've decided to make a gift for Atrus as he's the only other person here, and I have little else to do. I'm not sure what I'll make Atrus yet. The wood of the red trees here on Myst is too hard for my little pocket knife to carve, but the trees in Channelwood are softer and I've seen a few old branches worn smooth with time. I figured I would be able to make something from it, and find the little creature ruining my traps.

It didn't take long to find the creature, but the little fiend is too quick for me to hit or catch. It followed me as I found suitable pieces of wood for my project. Every time I tried to hit it, the thing would jump out of the way and chatter at me as if yelling at me for shooting a rock at it.

After Channelwood I Linked to Mechanical to fetch some more tools for my task, since my pocket knife, while sharp, isn't perfect. I found what I needed in Achenar's rooms. God it is so creepy in there! The blood on the walls, the stench of death and fear, all those implements of pain… luckily for me he had small implements suited for my task. I said a small prayer for the souls of those he tortured. Achenar must have been fascinated by all forms of torture. He was clearly mad when he spoke to me through the blue Book. What would he have done to me if he got out? What about Atrus? I have a feeling Sirrus would have just killed us, that much I feel that Achenar was not lying about. But Achenar…

But they're gone now. Both of them. All that remains of the books which held them are scorch marks and ash. Their reigns of terror are over.

Lord, forgive Atrus for his actions, and welcome those souls tortured by those monstrous brothers.


	4. Days 10-12

Hello! Not much to say, just enjoy and please review!

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Day 10 (Dec. 20, 1806)

I have a new friend now, his name is Skip because he seems to skip when he walks on land. We met in Channelwood. He was the creature eating my bait. Turns out he's pretty smart, because when I linked back he was there with a small collection of the roots I had been using. He followed me around for the rest of the day. When I went back today, he was there again. Skip looks like a cross between an otter and a fox, with a long body covered in red-brown fur and a small horn in the center of his head.

Caught a bird thing in Mechanical today. Tasted good. Also, I found Sirrus' chess set. Tried to play myself after bringing it back to Myst, but after a while I lost interest. Worked on Atrus' present, well, presents. I made a dog so far, and the beginnings of a bird and a cat. Looks like he's getting Noah's Arc!

Found a good walking staff.

I had a dream of Sirrus and Achenar last night. They were screaming at me for the pages, and when I didn't give the pages to them, they climbed out of their books and shoved me in. I had to go to the Library and see the scorch marks with my own eyes to convince my half-asleep mind they were well and truly gone. That I would never see them again.

* * *

Day 11 (Dec. 21, 1806)

Skip is a good fisher. He's learned how to sit and fetch as well. He's asleep on my stomach right now. Wouldn't leave me alone long enough to get back to Myst. I hope Atrus doesn't mind that he came back with me. The little guy tried himself out by running around the island, exploring every nook and cranny he could find for a few hours. I laughed for the first time since I've arrived here while watching him trying to catch the butterflies in the forest.

It's good to have the company. Atrus rarely stops writing. I visit him daily to tell him of what I've seen on the crystal viewer, to check on him, and to bring him something to eat. I don't leave him until he eats. I need him to get home!

Home…

Anyway, Atrus is poor company. Skip, while he can't speak, is better than nothing. He reminds me of Apollo, my dog from when I was a child. I haven't thought of Apollo in years. Skip is smaller than Apollo, but is as energetic as I remember my dog. I don't understand why Skip has chosen to stay with me, he is a wild animal, he should be afraid of me. Channelwood was once inhabited though. The buildings were not in too bad disrepair, maybe Skip was a pet. Maybe he was left behind by his owner when they fled from Sirrus and Achenar, or he was left alone when the boys killed…

How could two people kill an entire village?

* * *

Day 12 (Dec. 22, 1806)

Finally got Atrus out of his cave. It took me a while to convince him to leave it. Whatever is happening to that Book, he's terrified that something will happen as soon as he puts down his pen. I've been checking the crystal imager on Rime for him regularly, and the Age (in my opinion) is doing well enough for him to take a break. He's doing much better, which is good considering I'm not the best of cooks or nurses. We had a picnic down on the docks. Skip and Atrus got along wonderfully. Atrus confirmed my suspicions that Sam was once a pet of the tree-dwellers in Channelwood. He is a _rictii_, and his kind were often kept as pets by the tree-dwellers of Channelwood. He said Skip is about a year old.

Atrus is a lonely man; lonely, but friendly. A bit chatty too once you get enough wine into him. We raided what was left from his wine cellar. A few of the smashed bottles had Latin lettering, but none of those survived so we settled for a sweet wine from some place called Narayan. A curse on the one who smashed the Bordeaux! (Probably Sirrus. I hope he at least drank it before smashing the bottle… and choked on it in the process, or found that it had gone sour.)

We talked into the night about all kinds of things: childhoods, fables, family, silly things we've done. I finally got him to tell me why he continues to call me _Mahritoos_, when I've told him my name multiple times.

"It's easier for me," he said. "I don't know which of your names to call you, you have too many. _Mahritoos_ means 'stranger' in the D'ni language. Though, perhaps I should start calling you _tishmoy_, my friend."

"Call me whatever you want, Atlas," I replied, recalling how at first I couldn't get his name right. We laughed and eventually, Atrus returned to D'ni. I don't think he would have stayed anyway, this place is full of memories for him. I'm making a few of my own.

* * *

Officially, there is no D'ni word for "stranger", so I made one up. Hope no one minds. _Tishmoy_ is the word for "my friend", though. I looked it up.

I own nothing to do with the D'ni language.


End file.
